The Marineland theme park in Antibes, France is closing down in January 2025 due to a 2021 law banning live shows with dolphins and whales in the country.
Marineland will close on 5 January after more than 50 years of operations. French newspaper the Connexion reports that the park will relocate its 4,000 animals to other parks and zoos across Europe, with its two remaining orcas likely to be moved to Loro Parque in Tenerife.Â
The attraction, which describes itself as Europe‘s largest marine zoo, announced its closure in a French language statement where it said annual attendance has dropped from 1.2 million to 425,000 in the past 10 years.
In the statement, Marineland blamed the law banning cetacean shows in France, which came into effect in November 2021.
“90 percent of visitors came to Marineland to visit the orcas and dolphins,” the park said.
It added: “Marineland has continued to invest in maintaining high standards of animal care, as confirmed by numerous judicial and administrative expert reports.”
Wildlife conservation charity Born Free’s head of policy Mark Jones said in a statement: “The keeping and breeding of marine mammals in commercial entertainment facilities is particularly egregious.
“It is impossible to provide for these highly intelligent, socially complex and wide-ranging animals in concrete tanks where their movements are severely restricted, and where they are forced to perform unnatural and demeaning tricks for the sake of public entertainment.”
Marineland animals to be relocated
As above, Marineland currently houses two orcas, a mother and son named Wikie and Keijo. Wikie’s son Moana died at Marineland in 2023, and her brother Inouk died at the facility earlier this year.
“We urge the management at Marineland and the authorities to work with welfare organisations to identify genuine sanctuaries where the marine mammals and other animals at the facility can be provided with the highest standards of species-appropriate lifetime care,” Jones added.
Earlier this year, Epcot at Walt Disney World removed all live dolphins from its Finding Nemo-themed attraction to ‘prioritise the wellbeing’ of the marine animals.
In recent years, companies like Thomas Cook, Tripadvisor, British Airways and Expedia have cut ties with attractions with captive dolphins, whales and orcas.
Images via Marineland and Born Free
